Pause
by Four Tet
  • Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Oct 2, 2001
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. PopMatters
    100
    Pound for pound, the songs of Pause are far more interesting and multi-layered than most of your general ambient music available on the shelves today.... A mesmerizing work.
  2. Dot Music
    90
    A far more sonically ambitious statement than its predecessors, perfectly fusing organic sounds with production techniques that are usually the preserve of underground dance producers or R&B mavericks.
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    90
    It is its author Kieran Hebden's best work to date and confirms the prolific young soundmeister as a major talent.
  5. Stylus Magazine
    89
    This is an album that seems to effortlessly evoke the kind of lazy summer days that everyone claims only ever happened when they were kids.
  6. Almost Cool
    80
    You could take this release and pair it up with Boards Of Canada's In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country for a back-to-back hit of sunny, frolic-in-a-sunny-field goodness.
  7. Sonicnet
    80
    Without resorting to sappy new age or yuppie lounge cliches, Hebden has created a blissed-out ambient album for the post-rave generation.
  8. Resonance
    80
    A strange and delightful record full of surprises. [#32, p.56]
    All this publication's reviews
  9. AllMusic
    80
    Organic as dirt, and full of an acidhead's sense of space, this one's a winner from start to finish.
  10. Pitchfork
    80
    When measured against Four Tet's prior output, this latest effort does come as something of a disappointment; but by most other yardsticks, it's downright brilliant.
  11. Playlouder
    80
    There's a rural beauty, crafted by man and machine, in places as exotic as an orchid.
  12. Urb
    80
    An utterly modern, far-out reverie of an album. The whole thing works like a charm. [Oct 2001, p.128]
    All this publication's reviews
  13. Splendid
    70
    It's a good-natured and engaging mix of subtle sample manipulation, music concrete, downtempo dance beats and pop experiments.

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best Album of 2001
98
#98 Most Discussed Album of 2001

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Eragon20
    Jun 3, 2019
    10
    Pause remains the most organic and grounded Four Tet album; listening is almost a spiritual experience.
  2. clem666
    Dec 28, 2021
    9
    'Pause' is as touching as organic tissue : it is alive and directly attempts to communicate with us. Tracks go on and on following each other'Pause' is as touching as organic tissue : it is alive and directly attempts to communicate with us. Tracks go on and on following each other with a surprising consistence despite Four Tet's eclectic and genre-blending approach. Twenty years separate them but still we can easily recognize Four Tet's efforts on recent Madlib's 'Sound Acestors', especially on tracks 'Theme de Crabtree', 'Hopprock', 'Riddim Chant', 'Latino Negro', 'The New Normal' or even 'Chino' (well almost all of this record).

    I take it as a sign for this artist to have crafted what could easily be considered as his best material. It is pure, it is breathtaking, it feels new every time you listen to it, it is both almost religious and highly rhythmic (almost clannish and ritualistic), it is distorted while being deeply rooted in the present, and it is of one the most insolent beauty. 'Untangled' and 'Tangle' amongst others reminded me of C418's 'Minecraft - Volume Alpha'. 'No More Mosquitoes' made me remember 'Duumbiyay' from Madlib. Well I guess that this is it : 'Pause' will certainly make you travel through passed and not yet produced memories.    … Full Review »
  3. JonFriskC
    Aug 28, 2006
    10
    Fantastic
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